It's not a magic hat they’ll need in the away dugout at Celtic on Sunday. It’s a crash helmet.

Because if the bull fighting Pedro Caixinha really is brave enough to walk into Glasgow’s East End for a baptism of fire this weekend - and put himself at risk of some serious Bren damage - then he might not be quite as smart as the Rangers board suspect.

On the one hand, there’s a great deal to admire about Caixinha’s faith in his own ability, that this 46-year-old thinks so much of himself he would jump on the next flight from Doha in order to begin rebuilding Rangers at the home of their all conquering rivals.

On the other, perhaps it might be more diligent for him to be spared from himself for a few more days never mind placed straight into harm’s way.

Pedro Caixinha is keen to take over Rangers before they play Celtic on Sunday (Image: Getty)

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Caixhina is in such a rush to get started that he began working on his travel itinerary last week, with the aim of landing in Scotland today or tomorrow by the very latest.

If that’s still his plan this morning then it’s not too late for him to be talked out of it and persuaded to spend a few more days soaking up the Middle Easter sunshine.

If he is already on his way he should be taken aside and told to sit this one out in the stand while leaving Graeme Murty in the hotseat one last time. There will be another derby day around any minute - last night’s cup draw made sure of it - so Caixhina would be wise to take a bit of time before he looks the champions and their manager in the eye.

Keith Jackson believes Graeme Murty should be left in charge for the Celtic match (Image: SNS Group)

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Forget yesterday’s sticky first half slog against St Mirren. The Celtic side which runs out against Rangers maybe made up by many of the same faces but they will be unrecognisable to the team which needed 45 minutes to come to life before scoring four goals and romping off into the semi finals of the Scottish Cup.

As, for that matter, will their surroundings.

It may have been a lazy Sunday lunchtime yesterday but by the time Rangers arrive Celtic Park will be smouldering like a giant green volcano. The atmosphere, as it always is on derby day, will be toxic and hazardous.

With players such as Scott Sinclair and Moussa Dembele operating at the peak of their powers there is not a more dangerous or hostile place on the planet into which any new Rangers manager could be plunged, let alone one as unsuspecting and unfamiliar as Caixinha.

Celtic are on red-hot form and beat St Mirren 4-1 on Sunday (Image: SNS Group)

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It seems like an enormous and unnecessary gamble to shoehorn the Portuguese coach into position before then but then again the Rangers board is taking a risk simply by going after this particular candidate when there are other far more obvious contenders.

When Caixinha first met with them in London almost a fortnight ago he spoke so impressively and so passionately about his credentials and plans that the three man interviewing panel had half a mind to offer him the job on the spot.

But they waited for another week in order to sit down with the rest of the men on their short-list before deciding that Caixhina was indeed their preferred managerial option.

Managing Director Stewart Robertson must surely know that by plucking a relative unknown from the obscurity of the fifth best club in Qatar, he is gambling with his own reputation.

Stewart Robertson may be taking a risk with the appointment of Caixinha (Image: SNS Group)

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If this experiment all goes wrong then it might be impossible for him to explain away why Rangers chose to take such a chance when, for example, Derek McInnes would represent a tried and tested option with a cyclopedic knowledge of the Scottish top flight as well a personal link to Ibrox from his days there as a player.

Logic dictates that if McInnes can establish Aberdeen as the second strongest force in the country on a budget which is a fraction of the £11m Rangers have frittered this season, then it stands to reason that he’d probably give Dave King and Co a bigger bang for their buck.

On Saturday when Walter Smith - the great godfather of pragmatism - called for McInnes to be given his old gig, it felt almost like an intervention. As if Smith was offering his wealth of experience to a board which is in need of all the friendly guidance it can get.

Also, despite offering Ross Wilson the post as director of football, the 34-year-old remains in his job at Southampton with no sign of him rushing to the rescue any time soon.

Walter Smith believes Derek McInnes is the man for the job

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Rather than try to convince the reluctant Wilson to leave the English Riviera and the Premier League behind, they should have picked up the phone to John Park and offered Celtic’s former star-finder the role of head of recruitment. His extensive scouting network could have been up and running within hours.

The longer Wilson deliberates, the less likely that he’ll see any sense in returning over the border when his star is on the rise down south.

Still, there was some good news for King and his men at the weekend when reports emerged from England, suggesting Mike Ashley might ready to launch a hostile takeover of the club.

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Let’s forget for a moment that the SFA have limited the Newcastle owner’s influence at Ibrox to a stake of no more than 10 per cent of the club’s shares because of concerns over dual interest, making a power grab impossible for as long as he remains at St James’ Park.

The mere mention of Ashley’s name should help to sharpen the focus of those fans who already become disgruntled with King’s regime. They should console themselves with the knowledge that at least they are complaining about football issues as opposed to the bad old days when they were fearing for the very existence of their club, when Ashley had his grubby paws all over it.

Yes, King’s board is far from perfect. But nothing should enhance the popularity, credibility and reputation of the current regime more than the dark shadow of Bike Mike on the front steps of Edmiston Drive.

Rangers have been drawn to face Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-final

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In fact, of all the many criticisms of King and his fellow directors, they do have one huge lump of credit left in the bank. That they were able to drive Ashley’s cabal out of the club in the first place.

If there are Rangers fans out there who believe Ashley is itching to rout them and to then plough in all the millions that King had previously promised, then good luck to them. Perhaps they have not been paying any attention these last few years. Or perhaps they are happier to exist in a land of permanent delusion where hubris grows on trees.

Maybe the harsh reality of the current situation at Ibrox - as Celtic disappear off over the horizon in a Rodgers shaped blaze of glory - is just too grim for their liking.

But Rangers are where they are regardless. And if King and his men have, in all of their wisdom, decided Caixinha really is the man to turn the club’s fortunes around then they should also be clever enough to keep him out of the firing line until the start of next week.